Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 078 1986 0721ORDINANCE NO. 78 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE MOORPARK MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 14.16 RELATIVE TO NEWSRACKS THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MOORPARK DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Moorpark hereby finds that newsracks have proliferated and increased in certain areas of the City to the extent that in some instances they can constitute a threat to public health, safety and welfare by impeding pedestrian traffic and interfering with ingress and egress to and from buildings, vehicles and public modes of transportation. The purpose of this Ordinance is to promote the public health, safety, and welfare through the regulation of placement, appearance, number, size, and servicing of newsracks on the public rights -of -way so as to: A. Provide for pedestrian and driving safety and convenience; B. Insure no unreasonable interference with the flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic including ingress into, or egress from, any place of business or from the street to the sidewalk; C. Provide reasonable access for the use and maintenance of sidewalks, poles, posts, traffic signs and signals, hydrants, mailboxes, and similar appurtenances, and access to locations used for public transportation purposes; D. Reduce visual blight on the public rights -of- way, protect the aesthetics and value of surrounding properties, and protect the quiet of residential areas; E. Reduce exposure of the City to personal injury or property damage claims and litigation; F. Protect the right to distribute information, protected by the State and federal constitution through the use of newsracks. -1- CJK/ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9, 86 ) It is not the intent of this Ordinance to in any way discriminate against, regulate, or interfere with the publication, circulation, distribution, or dissemination of any printed material that is constitutionally protected. SECTION 2. The Moorpark Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding Chapter 14.16 "Newsracks" to read as follows: Chapter 14.16 NEWSRACKS 14.16.010 Definitions. For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and phrases are defined as set forth in this section, unless it is apparent from the context that a different meaning is intended: (1) "Newsrack" means any self - service or coin - operated box, container, storage unit or other dispenser installed, used, or maintained for the display and sale of printed material. (2) "Parkway" means that portion of a street other than the portions included within the roadway and sidewalk. (3) "Permit authority" means the city manager or his or her designee. (4) "Printed material" means any newspaper, periodical, magazine, book, picture, photograph or other similar matter. (5) "Roadway" means that portion of a street improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel. (6) "Sidewalk" means any surface within a street provided for the exclusive use of pedestrians. (7) "Street" means all the public right -of -way dedicated to public use for public street purposes and shall include parkways, roadways, and sidewalks. 14.16.020 Prohibited Installation. No person shall install or maintain any newsrack which in whole or in part rests upon, in or over any parkway, street or any property owned or controlled by the city, except as expressly permitted pursuant to this chapter. -2 -. CJK%ORN3475 (Rev. 71/9/86) 14.16.030 Registration Required. A. Newsracks which rest wholly upon, in and over any sidewalk or the patio of the Community Center are permitted pursuant to this chapter; provided that, no person shall install or maintain any such newsrack without first registering the newsrack with the city and without otherwise complying with the provisions of this chapter. Such registration shall be in writing by the owner of the newsrack or his authorized agent, shall be filed with the permit authority and shall contain the following: (1) The name, address and telephone number of the owner of the newsrack and the name and address of the person to whom any notice pursuant to this chapter should be given; (2) The location at which the newsrack is to be installed and maintained; (3) An executed document, approved as to form by the city attorney, by which the registrant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the city, its officers, employees, servants and agents from any claim, demand or judgment in favor of any person, arising out of the location, installation, maintenance or removal of the newsrack; and (4) A certificate of insurance evidencing that a liability insurance policy in minimum amounts set by the City Council has been issued, naming the city as a coinsured, and containing a provision that the policy cannot be canceled or modified except upon thirty (30) days written notice to the city clerk of the fact of such cancellation or modification. If at any time during the time the newsrack is installed or maintained on public property, such insurance is canceled or is modified without the prior written approval of the permit authority, said newsrack shall be removed forthwith by the registrant. B. No encroachment permit shall be required pursuant to any ordinance of the city, if the newsrack is registered in accordance with this section. 14.16.040 Standard for installation, maintenance and removal. A. Any newsrack which is installed or maintained pursuant to this chapter shall comply with the following standards: -3- CJK/ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9/86) (1) The newsrack shall rest entirely outside the roadway or parkway and shall in whole rest upon, in and over the sidewalk or the patio of the Community Center; (2) The newsrack shall not exceed forty -six (46) inches in height, thirty (30) inches in width, or twenty -four (24) inches in thickness and shall have panels on all four (4) sides which shall be woodgrain or painted brown; (3) The newsrack shall be installed on a single or multiple pedestal -type base, which base shall be painted black and shall be securely anchored into the sidewalk; provided, however, not more than four (4) newsracks shall be installed on any one base; (4) The newsrack shall be placed parallel to a curb or the wall of a building. Newsracks placed parallel to the curb shall be placed with the back to the roadway and not less than eighteen inches nor more than twenty -four inches from the edge of the curb or if there is no curb from the edge of the pavement. Newsracks placed parallel to the wall of a building shall be placed with the back not more than six inches from the wall. No newsrack shall be placed or maintained opposite a newsstand or another newsrack; (5) Newsracks may be placed next to each other; provided, however, no group of newsracks shall extend more than fifteen (15) feet along the sidewalk, and no such group of newsracks shall be located within five (5) feet of any other group of newsracks; (6) The newsrack shall not be used for advertising or publicity purposes, except: (a) The name of printed material dispensed therefrom may be displayed on the bottom one -third (1/3) of the hood; and card pans may be the newsrack. T inches in height shall be limited printed material (b) Advertising rack cards contained in attached to, and located on, the front of fte rack cards shall not exceed fifteen (15) and twenty -two (22) inches in length and to the display, sale or purchase of the dispensed from the newsrack. (7) The newsrack shall be maintained in a clean, neat, safe and secure condition and in good repair at all times; -4- CJK /ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9/86) (8) The newsrack shall not be installed or maintained within: crosswalk; return; or service box; (a) Five (5) feet of any marked (b) Fifteen (15) feet of any curb (c) Five (5) feet of any utility meter (d) Five (5) feet of any driveway; (e) Six (6) feet of any bus bench; (f) Five (5) feet ahead of, and twenty - five (25) feet to the rear of, any sign marking a designated bus stop; (g) Fifteen (15) feet of any fire hydrant, fire call box, police call box or other emergency facility; (h) Three (3) feet of any area improved with lawn, flowers, shrubs or trees; provided, however, that if the planting area and the adjacent sidewalk are separated by a wall or fence in excess of three (3) feet in height and the planting area and the sidewalk are on substantially the same grade, the restriction shall not apply; or (i) Three (3) feet of any display window of any building abutting the sidewalk or in such manner as to impede or interfere with the reasonable use of such window for display purposes; and (j) One hundred and fifty (150) feet of any other newsrack on the same side of the street within the same block which contains the same issue or edition of the same printed material, except where there is insufficient room in one newsrack for the printed material which may be sold in one day. In such event the number of newsracks shall not exceed the number necessary to accommodate the printed material which may be sold in one day, the newsracks shall be placed and grouped next to each other and shall otherwise be located in compliance with this section. (9) The newsrack shall not be installed or maintained so as to: -5- CJK /ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9/86) (a) Reduce the clear space for the passageway of pedestrians to less than four (4) feet; (b) Cause, create or constitute a hazard to, or unreasonably interfere with, or obstruct the flow of, vehicular traffic or pedestrians; (c) Endanger persons or property; or (d) Unreasonably obstruct or interfere with access to, or the use and enjoyment of, abutting the property; (10) The newsrack shall not be installed or maintained on a sidewalk that abuts property that is zoned Rural- Agricultural (R -A), Rural Exclusive (R -E), Single - Family Estate (R -O), One - Family Residential (R -1), Two - Family Residential (R -2), Multiple Family Residential (R -3), Mobile Home Subdivision (M -H -S), Trailer Park Development (T -P -D) or Residential Planned Development (R -P -D), as such zones are defined in the city's zoning ordinance; and (11) No issue or edition of any printed matter shall remain in the newsrack after the publication date of the next issue or edition. B. Whenever a newsrack location is voluntarily abandoned, the registrant shall so notify the permit authority prior to removing the newsrack. The registrant shall completely remove the newsrack and its mount and shall restore the sidewalk to a good and safe condition, leaving no hole or projection in the sidewalk and using the same type and quality of construction material as that which exists at the surface of the abutting sidewalk. 14.16.050 Displav of certain matter prohibited. A. No printed matter dispensed from any newsrack installed or maintained pursuant to this chapter shall be displayed or exhibited in a manner which exposes to public view from the street any of the following: (1) Any statements or words describing explicit sexual acts, sexual organs, or excrement where such statement or words have as their purpose or effect sexual arousal, gratification or affront; (2) Any photograph, picture or illustration of genitals, pubic hair, perineums, anuses, or anal regions of any person where such photograph, picture or illustration -6-- CJK/ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9/86) has as its purpose or effect sexual arousal, gratification, or affront; (3) Any photograph, picture or illustration depicting explicit sexual acts where such photograph, picture or illustration has as its purpose or effect sexual arousal, gratification, or affront. B. Explicit sexual acts, as used in this section, means depictions of sexual intercourse, oral copulation, anal intercourse, oral -anal copulation, bestiality, sadism, masochism, or excretory functions in conjunction with sexual activity, masturbation, or lewd exhibition of genitals, whether any of the above conduct is depicted or described as being performed among or between members of the same or opposite sex or between humans and animals, or other acts of sexual arousal involving any physical contact with a person's genital, pubic region, pubic hair, perineum, anus or anal region. 14.16.060 Newsrack violation. A. Whenever the permit authority is advised that a newsrack has been installed or is being maintained in violation of this chapter, he or she shall so notify the person in whose name the newsrack is registered pursuant to Section 14.16.030. Such notice shall state the nature of the violation, the intention to impound the newsrack if the violation is not corrected or a hearing is not requested before the permit authority within fifteen (15) days after the giving of such notice, and the procedure for requesting such a hearing. A timely request for a hearing shall stay any impounding, provided that if the violation is not corrected within five (5) days after the decision at such hearing becomes final, the permit authority may impound the newsrack in accordance with Section 14.16.070. B. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, in the case of any violation of this chapter which creates an immediate danger to the public health, safety or welfare, which violation cannot be corrected by moving or otherwise repositioning an unanchored newsrack, said newsrack may be summarily impounded by the permit authority. 14.16.070 Impounded newsracks. A. Whenever a newsrack is impounded pursuant "to Section 14.16.060, the permit authority shall immediately -7- CJK/ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9/86) notify the person in whose name the newsrack is registered pursuant to Section 14.16.030. Such notice shall state the date the newsrack was impounded, the reasons thereof, and the procedure for claiming the newsrack. If the newsrack was summarily impounded, such notice shall also state the procedure for requesting a hearing before the permit authority. B. The registrant or other person who provides satisfactory proof of ownership of the impounded newsrack may, at anytime within thirty (30) days of the notice of impound, obtain the return of the newsrack and its contents upon payment of an impound fee in an amount equal to the reasonable cost to the city of removing and storing the newsrack. C. If, after a hearing pursuant to Section 14.16.080, the impounded newsrack is found not to have been in violation of this chapter, the newsrack shall be returned to the registrant or other claimant without payment of any impound fee or, if an impound fee has previously been paid, the impound fee shall be refunded. D. Upon failure of the registrant or other claimant to claim an impounded newsrack and pay the impound fees within the thirty (30) day period, the newsrack shall be deemed to be unclaimed property in possession of the city. The permit authority shall sell or otherwise dispose of such newsrack and its contents in accordance with law. 14.16.080 Hearing procedure. A. Within fifteen (15) days of the notice of violation or notice of impound of a newsrack summarily impounded, the person in whose name the newsrack is registered pursuant to Section 14.16.030, or other person who provides satisfactory proof of ownership may request a hearing before the permit authority. The request shall be in writing, shall state the basis thereof, and shall be field with the permit authority. The hearing shall be held within five (5) working days of the filing of the request. At the hearing any person may present evidence or argument as to whether the newsrack has been installed or maintained in violation of this chapter. Within two (2) working days after the close of the hearing, the permit authority shall render a decision in writing and shall give such written decision to the person who requested the hearing. -8- CJK/ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9/86) B. Any person who requested a hearing before the permit authority may, within ten (10) days after the decision was given, appeal such decision to the city council. The appeal shall be in writing, shall state the basis upon which the appeal is made, and shall be filed with the city clerk. The city council shall hear the appeal within thirty (30) days of the filing of the request. At the hearing, any person may present evidence or argument as to whether the newsrack has been installed or maintained in violation of this chapter. At the next regular meeting of the city council after the close of the hearing, the council shall render a decision in writing. Within one (1) day after the decision is rendered, the city clerk shall give notice thereof to the person who made the appeal. The decision of the city council shall be final. 14.16.090 Notices. Notices required pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be given in writing by personal service or United States postal service, certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the person to be notified at his or her last known address. The giving of notice under this chapter shall be deemed to have occurred as of the date of personal service or as of the date of deposit in the course of transmission of the United States postal service. 14.16.100 Non - conforming newsracks. This chapter shall apply to all newsracks, whether installed or maintained prior to, or after, the effective date thereof. Those newsracks installed prior to the effective date of this chapter shall be brought into compliance with the provisions of this chapter within thirty (30) days of the effective date thereof. In the event the number of such newsracks at any location exceed the number of newsracks that are permitted by this chapter at that location, priority shall be determined solely on a first -come, first registration basis and in the event of a registration tie, by random lot performed by the permit authority. Any newsrack not brought into compliance within said thirty (30) day time period shall be deemed to be in violation of this chapter. 14.16.110 Abandoned newsracks. A newsrack shall be deemed abandoned when no printed material is contained therein for a period of more than fifteen (15) consecutive days. If the permit authority determines that a newsrack has been abandoned he or she shall summarily impound such newsrack and, notwithstanding Section 14.16.070, the =410 CJK /ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9/86) newsrack shall immediately be deemed to be unclaimed property in the possession of the city. The permit authority shall sell or otherwise dispose of the newsrack in accordance with law. 14.16.120 Unmarked newsracks. Whenever the permit authority finds that a newsrack does not have the name, address and telephone number of the owner thereof placed upon such newsrack, in compliance with Section 17570 et se q. of the Business and Professions Code of the state, he or she shall make every reasonable effort to ascertain the owner thereof. If the permit authority is unable to determine ownership, he or she shall summarily impound such newsrack and, notwithstanding Section 14.16.070, the newsrack shall immediately be deemed to be unclaimed property in possession of the city. The permit authority shall sell or otherwise dispose of such newsrack and its contents in accordance with law. SECTION 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, part or portion of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The city council declares that it would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, part or portion thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases, parts or portions be declared invalid or unconstitutional. SECTION 4. This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days after its passage and adoption. SECTION 5. The city clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this ordinance; shall enter the same in the book of original ordinances of said city; shall make a minute of the passage and adoption thereof in the records of the proceedings of the city council at which the same is passed and adopted; and shall, within fifteen (15) days after the passage and adoption thereof, cause the same to be published once in the Moorpark News, a weekly newspaper of -10- CJK/ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9/86) general circulation, as defined in Section 6008 of the Government Code, for the City of Moorpark, and which is hereby designated for that purpose. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 21st day of July 1986. razlo *144-- M or of the Citybf Moorpark, California ATTEST: -11- CJK /ORN3475 (Rev. 7/9/86) STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF VENTURA ) ss . CITY OF MOORPARK ) I, Eva Marie Crooks, Deputy City Clerk of the City of Moorpark, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 78 was adopted by the City Council of the City of Moorpark, at a regular meeting thereof, held on the 21st day of July , 1986, and that the same was adopted by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Councilmembers Yancy- Sutton, Woolard, Prieto and Mayor Ferguson NOES: None ABSENT: Councilmember Hartley WITNESS my hand and the official seal of said City this 23rd day of July , 1986. Deputy City Clerk